


I Love You Brownies

by AwkwardAndUncomfortable



Series: Different Circumstances for Darcy Lewis [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adult Adoption, Angst, Asexual Character, BAMF Pepper Potts, Child Neglect, Darcy Lewis-centric, Darcy has issues, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Multi, One Shot, Other, Panic Attacks, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Talk of Suicide, Touch-Starved, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-29 05:26:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5117150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardAndUncomfortable/pseuds/AwkwardAndUncomfortable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy Lewis had spent her entire life carefully avoiding the topic of soulmates. Being born without a soulmark had made her a little sensitive to the issue.</p><p>****</p><p>I wrote this instead of getting ready for my Halloween party, so don't judge me if it's bad! Just a one-shot that I was thinking about. As always, anything you recognize doesn't belong to me and be gentle! Thanks for reading!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please bear in mind that the advice for the panic attack is just what I use when I have them. Please don't take my word as law as what to do when you have a panic attack. It might work for me but that doesn't mean it works for you.
> 
> Anyway, I made an angst filled version of Darcy, so please enjoy the feels! It gets better at the end though. Thanks for reading!

Pepper had always wondered whether Jarvis was advanced enough to love. He was capable of understanding human emotion, hell, he even seemed to enjoy their conversations. Especially when she told him a particularly funny anecdote, his voice turned warm and he seemed to be holding back a laugh.

When she had asked Tony, he had shrugged. "He can learn like a human." Was all he said.

It was a puzzle that Pepper was determined to solve.

She found the answer when a certain God brought his girlfriend and Lightening Sister to the tower.

******

Darcy Lewis had spent her entire life carefully avoiding the topic of soulmates. Being born without a soulmark had made her a little sensitive to the issue.

In most cultures being born without a mark would result in harassment, abuse, abandonment and sometimes even death. She was lucky that she was born in America, all things considered. The worst came from the religious types though. Most believed that if you were born without a soulmate, the devil had taken your soul. They were strictly intolerant to anybody born blank and would spray holy water on you on the spot. They were the main opposition to Soulmate-less rights.

After years of campaigning the Soulmate-less got the right to vote, equal wage and it became illegal to discriminate them. It didn't stop it happening though. It probably didn't help that Darcy's parents were devout Christians.

They used to stare at her in misery and horror whenever they thought she wasn't looking. Sometimes they did it even when she was. As she grew up, Linda and Gary Lewis came up with different schemes to ban the 'devil' from her soul. She had to wear a crucifix at all times, had to go to church every morning and attend an exorcism once a week.

They hired a 'specialist' to come and see them every Sunday to banish the Devil from their home. Darcy found the whole thing excruciatingly boring. She lay in a circle of candles whilst the priest chanted Bible verses at her. The white robe she was forced to wear itched and the candles made her sweat. Her parents stood behind the priest and held hands, crying softly whilst praying.

Darcy just found the entire thing tedious. Linda would check her over for a soulmark every night, sighing when none appeared. If they hadn't found one by the time the week was up, they would bring in the priest again.

On top of that, Darcy had to keep it a secret. Her parents had told no one of their mark-less child and made sure that Darcy had told no one either. Everyone thought that her soulmark was on the bottom of her foot and her parents encouraged this belief by never letting her leave the house without at least two pairs of socks on and shoes that they laced up impossibly tight. Darcy got used to walking around like she wasn't in pain and artfully changing the subject when somebody brought soulmarks up. Gary still made her wear socks in the house though, petrified that they might get a surprise visitor and Darcy might not be wearing something to cover her feet.

It wasn't like they hit her or anything. They just neglected her. Gary tended to lock her in her room when she was in the house, preferring to not have to look at her when he didn't have too. They gave her the basic necessities, like food, shelter and warmth. She just didn't get any love.

Her parents preferred to not touch her, which meant for a barren childhood. Of course in front of their friends, they played the role of perfect parents, grabbing onto her hands when they crossed the road or walked anywhere. But Gary's grip was loose, as if he could barely stand the feel of her skin, whilst Linda's was too tight, her nails digging into her palms.

They refused to let her go to school, instead leaving her with various textbooks and locking her in her room. They said that they didn't want to ruin other kids by introducing them to the devil. Darcy never spoke back, just read her textbooks and figured it out for herself.

As she grew up, Darcy found herself spending as much time out of the house as possible. She took to haunting the library for hours on end, eager to learn as much as possible and escape her parents. At sixteen she got a job at the library, just stocking shelves. It didn't pay very much, but on her breaks she had her pick of things to read and it meant that she could leave the house for even longer. She didn't tell Linda and Gary about her job, and they never questioned where she was all day.

When got herself emancipated at seventeen the two shared a sigh of relief. Darcy packed her meagre belongings and fled.

The only thing her parents had given her was a hatred of wearing shoes and the fear of being touched.

Now, at twenty two years old, Darcy had gotten accepted at Culver university. She had worked hard to get in, hiring herself tutors to teach her what her self-education had missed, even though she had to practically starve herself in order to pay for it. She did it though. Now she was doing a degree in political science, so she could help fight for equal rights.

This was how she met Jane Foster. At the end of her degree she needed just six science credits to pass. It was on a bulletin board that she had seen a flyer for an intern in astrophysics. She read a couple of books about astronomy and was vaguely interested in physics, so she applied.

She got the job. When she first walked into a coffee shop she quickly bought two coffees before spotting a slim brunette wearing rumpled clothes and about four pencils behind her ears. Darcy plunked the coffee in front of her before introducing herself.

"Hi, I'm Darcy Lewis." She didn't offer a hand to shake. 

The woman had been scribbling something on a napkin but now looked up.

"Jane Foster. You must be the one applying for the internship." She had a glazed look to her and heavy bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for days.

"That's me." She said, sliding into her seat. Darcy pushed the coffee closer to Jane. "And that's for you." Jane looked at her suspiciously before grabbing the cup and downing half of it in one go. 

"Thanks. So I have one question." Darcy sat straighter, ready for the interview. "What's your opinion on Soulmarks?" She stared at her, trying to figure out if she was kidding or not. When it became clear that Jane wasn't actually joking, she answered.

"Don't ask, don't tell."

Jane nodded. "Good answer, you're hired."

Darcy felt her jaw drop. "Really?"

"Yep." Jane nodded. "You were the only one who applied." Darcy still didn't understand why that question was important.

Six months later, when they were both drunk from margaritas and sat on top of a roof in Puente Antiguo, Jane revealed a series of deep black runes etched across her shoulder blades. "They said it seems almost Norse, but they've never seen anything like it." Darcy didn't know who 'they' were, but felt like comforting Jane. So she told her about being Soulmate-less. Jane was the first person she told and she didn't say anything, just sat next to her whilst they both cried.

Jane was the first person she told when a week later she found a strange mark on her ribs whilst she was in the shower. It was late at night, and Darcy was covered in dust from the desert. She had just finished washing her hair and was onto rinsing her body when she looked down and nearly screamed.

"Jane!" She shouted, scrambling out, not caring that she was a naked as the day she was born. "Jane!" She sprinted into Jane'a room to find the scientist in her pajamas and wearing a surprised look.

"Why are you naked?" She cried, hiding her eyes behind her hands. She peeked through her fingers. "And wet!" She shouted again, closing her fingers. Darcy simply batted he hands out of the way.

"Look!" She said, gesturing at her ribs. Just underneath her breasts there was a line of words, etched into her skin in a deep black. 

"Should I inform Sir of your panic attack?" It said, in a robotic font that almost matched the once she used when she typed up Jane's papers on the computer.

Jane's face stretched into a wide grin. "It's a soulmark."

"What?!" Darcy stared at her in shock. 

"That's a soulmark." She said, pointing at it and nodding. Jane looked up at her, cheeks almost about to split with her smile. "Darcy you have a soulmate!" She shouted, jumping up and down. Darcy jumped with her before tears spilled down her cheeks and she burst into tears.

Jane approached slowly, and gently patted her on the back, not minding her wet state, and never stopping her smile. Darcy didn't think she'd ever felt so happy in her life. She barely noticed that Jane was touching her.

It was a year later when a man fell out of a tornado and Jane's mark made sense.

It was three years after that when Thor invited them to live in the Avengers tower with him, now that he was remaining permanently on world.

Darcy had upgrade from Intern, to assistant, and now to official Science Wrangler. Her job was simple, keep the resident scientists fed, watered and on enough sleep. She took to to the job like a duck to water. It was her first day of living and working at the tower, and she was enjoying herself. Thor had introduced her to Tony Stark (yes, The Tony Stark) who had introduced her to Bruce Banner as well as the other assistants. 

She already looked after Jane, so it wasn't difficult to just add another few people to her job. She started by quickly making about seven grilled cheeses and a massive pot of tomato soup to feed them. It was already lunchtime and she had a feeling that they wouldn't stop to take a break. She made the food in a handy kitchen a few floors below that Thor took her to.

She left three sandwiches for Thor, as well as a massive bowl of soup before putting the rest of the food on a tray and carrying it upstairs. The elevator doors opened just as she got there and she stepped in, hitting the button of her floor with her elbow. The doors opened to the lab, which was split into two different sections. One half was Bruce's which was incredibly neat and ordered with brand new machinery that gleamed. The other half was Jane's, which was covered in random pieces of paper and scribbled notes, dusty old machinery that was held together with duct tape and willpower occupied most of the floor space.

Used to the mess, she quickly ducked her way through the lab and put the food next to Jane. Forcibly placing a spoon in her hand, she commanded her to eat. Jane started shoveling the food in without thinking, still writing something down.

Darcy nodded once before walking over to Bruce, who was quietly hunched over a microscope. She slid the food next to him before tapping the desk in front of him.

"Lunch break doc. Eat this and then you can go back to work." He looked up in surprise before raising his eyebrows in confusion. "Darcy." She answered the unspoken question, "We met about an hour ago, now eat." He quickly ate the food in small careful bites before flashing her a smile.

"Thanks Darcy." he said warmly. He glanced at her bare feet but didn't say anything, used to the oddities of people in this tower.

"No problem doc." She returned the smile before picking up her tray and retreating back to the elevator. She got of at the next floor, which was Tony's lab. It was a mess of oily tools, scattered robots and half built engines.

"Tony!" She shouted. "I have food!" She dropped the final sandwich and bowl of soup on one of his cleaner work surfaces before walking through the room, searching for him. A hand suddenly landed on her bare shoulder and she panicked, flinching away and flailing her arms out.

She caught the person in the nose, making them release a groan of pain.

"Dammit kid! It's just me!" She peeked out from beneath her arms to see Tony, pinching his nose in an effort to stop the flow of blood.

"I brought food." She said, purposefully not apologizing. Tony looked at her, sensing her panic.

He paused, unsure of what to do. "Wait here." He finally said, after a few seconds of tense silence. "I'm just going to clean this up." He gestured at his nose before backing away and into another room. 

Darcy began scrubbing at her shoulder, hating the remaining feel of his hand on her shoulder. She couldn't get the feeling out of her mind and it made her feel sick. When the feeling wouldn't go away, her body started trembling and Darcy began hyperventilating. Sweat dripped down her forehead in rivulets and she slowly sank to her heels. She rocked back and forth, arms wrapped around her knees, trying to remember the breathing exercises that she had learnt. 

"Should I inform Sir of your panic attack?" A voice sounded out of nowhere, it sounded concerned but only made Darcy flinch.

"Please don't touch me." She said quietly, almost a whisper. The voice still heard her though.

"Don't worry miss, I will not touch you." It sounded even more concerned now, almost as panicked as her. "Would you like me to inform someone?"

She shook her head, the movement making her feel nauseous. 

"Alright miss." The voice sounded at loss for what to do. She was left in silence for a few seconds before the voice returned with purpose. "Miss, please take deep breath and hold it."

Darcy tried to ignore the voice, still taking quick, sharp breaths that hurt her throat.

"Please Miss. It will help." Darcy nodded slightly, deciding to take a chance on it working. "Now take a deep breath and hold it for as long as you can." She did so, before letting out a gust of air after about thirty seconds.

"Good, now take deep breaths, slowly. In, and out." The voice instructed her. She slowly began inhaling and exhaling, keeping in time with the voice. "Now inhale for five seconds." She did. "Now hold it for two seconds." She did, her rocking slowing. "Now release it for five seconds."

They repeated the breathing exercise for about ten minutes, and Darcy slowly began to feel better again. She was no longer dizzy and her limbs had stopped shaking. 

"Thankyou." She said quietly. 

"Anytime Miss." The voice said. She slowly rose to her feet, careful not to rush. Her body felt exhausted, as if she had just run a marathon. Once she steadied herself against a nearby workbench she looked up, wanting to see the guy who helped her. She looked around in confusion when the room appeared empty except for her.

"Hello?" She called, looking around her.

"Hello miss." The voice sounded again. She craned her neck to look behind her.

"Where are you?" She asked, confusion making her brows draw together.

"I'm everywhere."

"What?"

"I am Jarvis, an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark. I run this tower. And you, miss, are my soulmate."

******

In the next room Tony watched the video feed on his computer screen and jumped for joy. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Pepper.

"What do you want Tony?" He could already tell that she was having a crappy day. Well, he was about to make it better.

"Jarvis just met his soulmate."

"What?" He smirked before hanging up. She'd ditch her work to come and find out. Tony ignored her next phone call and carried on watching the screen.

******

"When Sir first created me," The AI was busy explaining. "he found a stray piece of code in my programming. He deleted it but it kept on coming back. It wasn't a virus, or another hacker so he left it. He tired several different programmes to figure out what it was and eventually he did. It was a line of text, reading 'Please Don't Touch Me'. I searched online for any explanation for it until Sir figured it out. It was my Soulmark."

The voice sounded excited, and nervous. Darcy felt like she was about to cry. Instead of replying, she slowly lifted her shirt above her ribs to reveal her Soulmark.

"Hey soulmate." She said, before bursting into tears.

******

Tony and Pepper cradled each other as they laughed at the screen. 

"We need to welcome her to the family." Pepper said, already planning a group meal in her mind to welcome Darcy.

"Yeah, we do." Tony said. If asked later about it, he would deny the fact that he was crying.

******

Darcy and Jarvis stayed up late talking for hours. She told him all about her childhood and he went eerily quiet for a few seconds. 

******

Gary and Linda woke up the next morning to find that all of their credit cards had been cancelled and their electricity, heating and gas had been cut off. It took four months to get it fixed.

******

Around two in the morning Jarvis dimmed the lights and shut the blinds. Darcy fell asleep with the knowledge that her soulmate would keep her safe.

******

A week later, Darcy attended a meal with the Avengers to welcome her to the family. She wore a blue summer dress and Jarvis assured her that she wouldn't have to wear shoes. The rest of the Avengers instantly received a message saying that they had to go bare foot.

"Summer theme." Jarvis said, a little too innocently for Natasha's liking.

Steve and Bucky arrived ten minutes early, catching the elevator to Tony's penthouse where the meal was taking place. They quickly slid into their seats, not liking the feel of the cold linoleum beneath their feet.

"Does Jarvis know that Pepper didn't give us an actual theme? We could have worn shoes." Bucky complained, pressing his feet against Steve's.

"I know." He agreed, flinching from the cold soles of his feet. "My feet are freezing."

Bucky rose to his feet. "I'm going to grab some socks." 

"No Sergeant Barnes." Jarvis' voice halted him in his tracks. "You must be bare foot. If you wear socks then you may not eat with the rest of the team." Jarvis had an insistent tone to his voice that the soldiers had never heard before.

"Alright Jarvis." Steve said cautiously, pulling Bucky to sit back down. "We won't wear socks."

"Thankyou Captain Rogers." He said before going silent.

Bucky grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen from Steve's shirt pocket before rapidly scribbling something down.

"Is it just me or is Jarvis acting weird?" He wrote.

Steve peered at it before snatching the pen and replying.

"Nope, definitely weird. Is it something to do with the meal?"

Bucky shrugged. "No clue, but I guess we'll find out." The elevator doors opened and Steve hastily shoved the napkin into his pocket. They both stood when they saw a shy looking girl looking at them.

"Hi." She said, awkwardly walking forward. She was a pretty little thing, both Steve and Bucky noticed and they smiled in response.

"Darcy, this is Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes." Jarvis said, voice decidedly warmer when he addressed Darcy.

"Thanks J." She said, smiling at the closest camera. She looked back at the two soldiers. "I'm Darcy." She said, ignoring Steve's outstretched palm.

After a few seconds he lowered it but smiled anyway. "I'm Steve, and this here is my soulmate Bucky."

"Nice to meet you." She said.

Bucky winked at her. "Pleasure to meet you doll." She blushed and awkwardly pulled at the bottom of her dress. This only brought their gazes to her fantastic legs.

"So do you work here then?" Steve asked, walking around the table to pull out a chair for her. She sat down and he pushed her chair in before walking back around to sit with Bucky.

"Yeah, I mostly work in the labs though." She said, playing with her napkin. "I keep the scientists fed and watered. I'm basically a glorified babysitter." She chuckled softly at herself before looking back up at them. "What do you guys do?"

Steve couldn't explain how endearing he found the fact that she had no idea who they are. "We're part of the Avengers, so when we're not in the field we pretty much just train."

Darcy nodded, not quite as impressed as the two had hoped she would be. Bucky kicked Steve under the table before smirking at Darcy.

"So I bet a girl like you has Stark wrapped around your little finger."

Darcy looked at him in confusion. "Not really. I think that's Pepper."

Bucky slowly licked his lips in a way that he knew drove girls crazy. The fact that she didn't respond didn't stop him. "It doesn't mean that he doesn't have eyes doll. I doubt that Pepper and Tony would mind sharing at least once." She looked between them, finally understanding their intentions.

"I know we wouldn't." Steve finished, staring intently at her. 

Darcy blushed and quickly stammered. "I have a soulmate."

Steve smiled kindly. "Okay, just letting you know that the offer is there."

"No harm in asking doll." Bucky said, smiling too.

Darcy heaved a sigh of relief. "Okay, no thankyou."

They both smiled gently at her and she managed to stop blushing.

They sat in awkward silence before the elevator doors opened. Clint, Natasha and Bruce entered. Bruce stood in the middle and holding both of their hands. They were all bare foot.

"Hey guys." Bruce said, taking a seat next to Darcy. Clint and Natasha sat next to Bruce.

"I believe you've already met Doctor Banner, and this is Agent Romanov and Agent Barton." Jarvis said. Darcy smiled into the camera before introducing herself to Clint and Natasha.

"You one of the lab monkeys?" Clint asked, already stuffing a bread roll into his mouth. Darcy giggled at him before replying.

"I wouldn't say so, I can barely understand half of what they're talking about. I just make their notes readable and make sure they don't work themselves to death." Natasha chuckled.

"Persuading Tony to stop working is probably harder than what we do." She said, smiling at Darcy.

Darcy shook her head. "Nah, I just threaten to get Pepper. You, like, save the world. It's so badass!" She said, not caring that she was having a total fangirl moment.

Natasha smirked. "We're going to be getting along very well."

As she spoke, Thor and Jane stepped out from the elevator. 

"Lightening sister!" He shouted, rushing over to greet her. He stopped before her and carefully opened his arms. She stepped in for a few seconds, his skin never touching hers before stepping out again. It was the closest Darcy was willing to get to a hug and it seemed to make Thor happy.

"Wait," Clint said, mouth still full. "That is your lightening sister? You're the one that tased Thor?" He turned to her, face full of shock.

She shrugged. "Guilty."

"Holy fuck. I've been wanting to meet you for ages."

"So have I." Tony said, stepping out from a different room, followed by Pepper. Both were wearing creepy smirks.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at them, but didn't say anything.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why we invited you here today." Pepper said, gesturing for Darcy to come and stand next to her. She carefully didn't touch her, but kept her close. "And it's to welcome Darcy to the family."

Clint was the first to speak. "Isn't she a little young for you guys?" Pepper sent him a look whilst Tony waved the comment away with the flick of a hand.

"Chill out Hawkass, she's not joining mine and Pep's relationship." Clint looked confused whilst Tony went onto explain. "She's more like a daughter then anything."

"Please tell me you're not adopting her." Natasha said, eyeing Tony wearily.

"No we're not adopting her Red. But she is being added to the will."

"What?" Darcy turned to face them in shock. "You can't."

Pepper nodded, wearing a slightly manic grin. "Yes we can. You're part of the family now Darcy and you'll be treated as such."

"I did demand that it happen Darcy." Jarvis chimed in. Natasha wasn't the only one to notice how he addressed her using her first name. Everyone apart from Tony and Pepper were addressed using their full titles.

"J, you shouldn't have." Darcy said, tears filling her eyes. Pepper made no move to comfort her.

"You're part of the family Darcy." He said warmly. She smiled into the camera, wiping away her tears.

"Thanks J."

"What is going on?" Steve asked, tired of waiting and too confused to figure it out."

Tony grinned. "Guys, this is Darcy. Jarvis' soulmate."

Natasha grinned. Thor scooped up Jane and twirled her. Bucky and Steve gasped, unsure what to make of it. Bruce winked at Tony and Pepper gently pulled at Tony's hand. Darcy just smiled into the camera.

******

The meal went wonderfully. Everyone used their best manners and stopped quizzing Darcy about her past when she look remotely uncomfortable. Darcy shivered slightly and the heating abruptly turned on. The food was brought out and it tasted exquisite. It was Darcy's favourite and she thanked Jarvis, Pepper and Tony yet again.

Later that night Steve and Bucky formally apologized to Darcy and Jarvis. The heating in their apartment in the tower still wouldn't work for another two weeks though.

Pepper and Tony spent much more time with Darcy, staying each time that she was apart of the family. Once they heard about her childhood, they were quick to fix the situation and had legal draw up adoption forms. She soon became part of the Stark empire. It took some time and cajoling from Jarvis before she agreed. She was now, officially, a stark. She kept the name Lewis but she was proud to be related to them.

Jarvis made sure that she was happy at all times and gave her everything that she needed. In return she spoke to him constantly, and always asked for his opinion. She even included him in conversations with others, much to his delight.

The media caught wind of her being his soulmate a few months later, and she had reporters clamoring her for an interview every time she left the tower. Her parents also began ringing her constantly, trying to speak to her. Jarvis intercepted each call and had bodyguards protect her from reporters. Tony built a small chip that he implanted into her ear, which let Jarvis be with her always.

Darcy was out walking with one of her bodyguards when she heard a woman's shout.

"Darcy! Darcy!" She turned to see Linda and Gary walking towards her. The bodyguard turned to face her in question but she gestured at him to move, eyes trained on the couple in front of her.

They stopped just in front of her. Linda looked like she was about to hug her but stopped when Darcy flinched away. They both wore matching awkward smiles.

"We've been trying to reach you." Gary said, holding onto Linda's hand.

"I know." She said, unsmiling.

Linda shared a look with her husband before talking. "We wanted to say how happy we were that the Lord saved you. We knew that the priest would eventually help you."

"The priest didn't save me. My soulmate did." The pair frowned at her. "When I was younger he wasn't born yet. I'm just a late bloomer."

"Now Darcy, the only reason you have a soulmate is because the Lord heard our prayers. We prayed for you every night after you left." Gary said, reprimanding her.

"Funny." She said, her tone dry. "I prayed that I would never see you two again."

Linda's eyes filled with tears. "You shouldn't speak that way to your parents." She said, her voice trembling.

"You're not my parents." Darcy said. "You're just the two people that happened to keep me fed for about seventeen years. Nothing more."

Tears slipped down her ex-mother's cheeks. "We loved after you!"

"No, you didn't. You tolerated me so you could look good for your church."

"Darcy!" Gary shouted, "Don't speak to us like that."

Darcy shrugged. "Okay." She said, turning around and walking away. 

"Well done Darcy." Jarvis said into her ear.

"Thanks J." She muttered, ignoring the cries of the couple behind them as a bodyguard kept them back.

"You did a good job."

"I like to think so."

"If you want I can order your favourite ice cream for you."

Darcy's lips curved into a smile. "That would be great J." She said, heading back into the tower.

And if he hired somebody to break into the Lewis household and turn all of the crucifix's upside down whilst he ordered ice cream, that was his business.

******

It was a week later when he finally said it. "Darcy?" He asked. She was currently stirring a brownie mix to feed to the team. They had all just gotten back from another mission, exhausted and starving. They were in Tony's penthouse with takeout but she would go up when the brownies were done.

"Yeah J?" She asked, looking up at the cameras.

"You know that I... That I, uh."

It was the first time she heard him struggle to find the words.

"Yes J?"

"That I... That I..."

"That you love me?" Darcy said, placing the brownie mix on the counter and putting her hands on her hips.

"Yes, that." He said quietly. 

"Good, because I love you too and I was getting tired of waiting for you to say it."

He laughed. "I love you Darcy." It even felt good to say.

"I love you too Jarvis." She smiled. She looked down at the mix before pouring it into a tray. "Now I'm never going to make these brownies again without thinking of you."

Jarvis found himself strangely pleased at the thought. "You can call them I love you brownies."

She chuckled. "It has a nice ring to it."

When she presented them to the team she had a pleased expression and they were too exhausted to question her about the name. It became a tradition to make I love you brownies whenever they got back from a mission. Each time she looked up and winked at Jarvis when she presented them. Jarvis got a strange feeling every time she did that. 

He found himself liking it though.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, anything you recognise doesn't belong to me. Be gentle and enjoy! Thanks for the kudos, bookmarks and comments!

"Okay, I'm going now." Darcy said to Jarvis as she stepped into the elevator.

"Are you sure you don't need any bodyguards?" He asked, yet again, worry seeping into his tone.

She waved her hand. "I'll be fine, I'm literally just walking two blocks."

"If you're sure." He said, not changing his rueful tone.

She huffed at him. "Jarvis, I'll be fine!" The doors slid open and she blew a kiss to the camera. "Love you!"

Jarvis barely managed a "Love you too." Before she was gone.

It wasn't even fifteen minutes later when the chip in her ear let out a distress signal. Jarvis didn't think he'd ever felt so nervous in his existence. When he checked the security cameras outside of the building, the ground shook beneath his systems.

Red lights flared in every room and Jarvis called for an Avengers Assemble.

One by one the avengers stumbled into the penthouse, all suited up. Except Bruce of course. Steve looked at Tony, waiting for an answer.

"What's the problem?"

Jarvis answered for him. "I'm calling for the Avengers. Darcy has been taken." His voice had never sounded so angry before.

The footage from the cameras played on a hologram. It showed a blurry Darcy dancing slightly to her Ipod next to the mouth of an alley before two men in black ski masks emerged from the alleyway and grabbed her arms. She struggled, clawing and biting at them, but it was no use. A black van slowed to a stop next to them and the door swung open. She was bundled inside. The entire thing took less than two minutes.

Natasha's jaw tightened noticeably and the rest of the team were in various stages of shock.

Tony looked up at the camera, his faceplate down to reveal a worrisome expression. "We'll get her back J." 

"Let's go get our girl back then." Natasha said, leading them out.

******

Darcy huddled at the back of the van, pulling at the ropes around her wrists and struggling not to have a panic attack.

"You will be okay Darcy. People are coming to get you." Jarvis reassured her, speaking into her ear. She nodded, even though she knew he wouldn't hear. "Don't struggle and don't panic. You will be safe soon." The only thing Jarvis could hear was her panicked breathing. "Remember that I'm here, now breath with me."

Darcy slowed down her breathing, glaring at her kidnappers the entire time. They wore nondescript clothes and the classic black ski masks. All she could see was their eyes. In truth, she was petrified, but wore a scowl to hide her fear.

In what felt like the longest drive of her life, the van slowed to a stop and she was bundled out of the van again, straight into a dark building. The men carried her struggling form through a series of hallways and rooms before taking her to, what seemed like, a computer control room.

Large screens decorated one wall, with different desks with computers facing them. A man stood at the front wearing a designer suit and smirking at her. She instantly wanted to hurt him.

"Why Miss Lewis, the pictures don't do you justice." He said, smiling as the men tied her to a chair.

"Darcy, that's Justin Hammer, rival to SI." Jarvis said into her ear.

She glared at him. "I'd like to say the same but I'm pretty sure the media prefer taking pictures of Tony."

His mouth compressed into a thin line of displeasure, but soon smoothed into a fake smile. "I didn't realise that you had such a smart mouth. Now I'm sure you're wondering why you're here right now."

Darcy adopted a light tone, as if she was talking about the weather. "Not really, I always get picked up by insane wannabe billionaires that hire cheap labour to kidnap me."

Hammer continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Well you're here, because of your soulmate."

If looks could kill, Justin Hammer would be on the floor in a pool of his own blood. "How fucking dare you. If you think that there is one chance in hell that-" He gestured at one of the men, who promptly stuffed a piece of waded up material into her mouth. She spit it out, spraying saliva all over him. Darcy carried on her sentence. "-You can just blackmail him, then you've got another thing coming buddy." 

He just laughed. "I think he'll do anything that I want, considering that I have his soulmate."

"I think you're underestimating him."

"I really don't think I am Darcy - can I call you Darcy?"

"No you cannot."

"Anyway, Darcy, I don't think I'm underestimating Jarvis. I just need him to do a few very simple things, and I'll let you go."

"You're a fucking idiot."

"Hey, now. No need to get aggressive. Now if you could do me a favor and contact him, I would be really happy."

The electricity suddenly cut out, and the screens behind Hammer glowed white.

He spun around to face the screens just as words began appearing in black italics.

Hello Justin.

It read, before disappearing. Another sentence replaced it a second later.

You've been very bad. Some people are very unhappy with you.

Hammer looked around wildly, before shouting. "Jarvis, I know it's you. You better stop before you do something to hurt your soulmate."

The words appeared again.

Oh Justin, that would make me angry.

The lights flashed and the screen went blank, before it blared with white noise. The words appeared again.

I'm not sure you'd like me when I'm angry.

Darcy stifled a giggle and Hammer turned around to glare at her. He started to, but his eyes lifted to stare above her in panic.

"Where are my men?" He asked, scowling at her, eyes widened in panic and a little bit of fear. He repeated the question, louder this time, grabbing her jaw.

She yanked her head away, hissing. "I don't fucking know." She looked up at the screens and nodded towards them slightly. Hammer turned around with dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

They made me angry Justin. I had to punish them for that.

It read, before the black lettering turned red and started dripping down the screen, resembling blood. The entire sentence dripped away before it was replaced. Hammer stared hopelessly as the new words began to appear.

But you've made me even angrier. That means that it'll be worse for you.

Suddenly the screen changed, showing a page of, what seemed like, business reports. At the top it showed the Hammer Industries logo. Hammer began swearing viciously.

The words appeared again.

Those wouldn't be some discrepancies in your reports, would they Justin?

Darcy began fiddling with the rope around her wrists, loosening the knot. The words on the screens changed again.

It almost seems like you've been stealing from the company and taking shortcuts.

Doesn't it Justin?

I'd hate if these things were published online and sent to all of your shareholders, wouldn't you?

Darcy felt somebody crouch behind her chair and cut away the rope. It was pulled away and she quickly rubbed feeling back into her wrists. The screen changed again.

Too late.

It said before the words flashed away, replaced by a picture of Hammer smiling at a podium. The background melted away, leaving just a picture of his face. Red crosses were slashed over his eyes and a red line across his neck. A skull and crossbones flashed over his face and Hammer whirled around to face Darcy just as she pulled her fist back. His nose made a satisfying crunch as her fist sunk into his face.

Natasha grinned at her as she snapped handcuffs onto a dazed Hammer's wrists. "You did good Darcy."

"All in a days work." She laughed before her eyes fluttered shut and she fell backwards. Tony caught her as the lights flashed back on.

"She's alright J. She just fainted."

"Please bring her back soon." Jarvis actually sounded worried now, so Tony just nodded before moving out, gesturing at everybody else to follow him.

******

Darcy woke up in a hospital room, surrounded by flowers and teddy bears. "Jarvis?" She called.

"I'm here." He said, worry leaking into his tone. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

She sat up with a sigh. "I'm fine J, just tired, maybe a little achy."

"Should I notify a doctor? Do you need anything?"

She chuckled dryly. "I'm fine Jarvis. Are you okay?" She asked, looking directly at the camera, worry pulling the corners of her lips down.

"I almost lost you." He said, not hiding the pain in his voice. "He had you, and he almost kept you and I couldn't do anything, there was no way to stop him."

"You did stop him." She soothed. "I wouldn't be here right now if you couldn't track me. The rest wouldn't have been able to find me, and they couldn't have gotten in without being caught if you didn't distract him. That was pretty nice cool by the way. You went all HAL 9000 on his ass."

"I thought you would appreciate it."

"I did, it actually made me laugh. You should never tell Tony that you like that film, it would totally freak him out." She paused. "Where is Tony? And the rest of the team?"

"They're leaving for an urgent mission in Russia tomorrow morning, so they're resting right now." He paused, uncertain. "Do you want them?"

She lay back down and snuggled into her pillow. "Nah," She said, yawning. "I've got you."

"Sleep well Darcy."

"Night J. Love you."

"Love you too." The local bakery suddenly received an order for a hundred brownies, with the recipe included. 

******

Tony woke up to Pepper's warm body pressed against his and the sound of drills pounding into his skull.

"Jarvis!" He called, blearily rubbing his eyes. "What's that noise?" Pepper snuggled into his side and pressed her hand over his mouth.

"Sshh." She whispered, eyes remaining shut.

"I'm sorry Sir. The construction workers have started today."

Tony's head shot up and Pepper rolled away from him, yanking the covers with her. He was too focused on the camera above him to notice. "Construction workers?"

"Yes Sir. I've personally vetted and selected the best employees in the area." Jarvis sounded far too innocent for his liking.

"Jarvis, why are there construction workers in the tower?"

"To replace the flooring Sir." The AI said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Tony slammed his head against his pillow before raising his eyes to the ceiling. "Why are we replacing the flooring J? Give me a straight answer or I swear to God I'm going to change your coding so that every time you talk to Darcy your voice sounds like a freakin' chipmunk."

When Jarvis replied, he sounded more than a little miffed. "They're lifting the linoleum flooring to install radiators beneath."

Tony felt like face palming. The only reason he didn't was because Pepper would totally hold it over him. "Radiators?"

"Yes Sir, radiators. I'll be able to turn them on so that the floor will stay warm."

The genius, billionaire and playboy sighed. "Why is that necessary Jarvis?"

"It helps keep the floors insulated Sir."

"We're in a tower, J. You can't even open the windows this high up. We have literally no need for extra insulation." Pepper gave up trying to sleep and sat up.

"Jarvis, what's the real reason? Tell it to us straight, please." She snapped at the camera, giving Jarvis the evil eye.

"Darcy prefers not to wear shoes but keeps complaining about the floors being cold, so I hired a construction crew to come and install radiators so that she wouldn't have cold feet anymore."

Pepper didn't stop gushing for the next four hours.

******

Darcy quickly shimmied into her favourite black dress and made sure that the bottom of her feet were clean.

"Fifteen minutes late now Darcy."

"Shut up Jarvis!" 

"I did tell you to get ready half an hour ago." The AI took great delight in saying 'I told you so'. Darcy just huffed before bending towards the mirror and sliding her hoop earrings into place.

She gave a small twirl and waved her hands. "Is this outfit okay?" 

"Beautiful."

"Thankyou." She smiled up at him.

"Now get out of this apartment."

"Christ on a cracker, I'm going!" She grabbed her clutch and a plate of brownies before stepping into the waiting elevator. It sped up quickly in about thirty seconds and she stepped out to the loud roar of a Tony Stark Celebration Party.

"Love you Jarvis."

"Love you too." He replied as the doors closed behind her.

"Darcy!" Said man cried from his seat in a leather sofa. He was surrounded by an assortment of Avengers, Fantastic Four and X Men.

"Tony!" She cried back, brandishing her plate. "I come bearing gifts!" She placed the plate on the table before opening her arms wide to a grinning Thor. He carefully wrapped his arms around her and squeezed in a gentle hug.

It had taken about six months of therapy in order to make it this far, but she had gotten better. It had taken several weeks and heated discussions with Jarvis before she had agreed to meeting a therapist. The entire tower had supported her every step of the way, with Tony calling in specialists from all over the world and Pepper helping her through hard times with a bottle of wine and chocolate.

She had gotten much better now. Darcy was capable of touching people, only if she instigated it though. She was still prone to panic attacks if she was touched without warning, but they were few and far between.

Darcy could actually enjoy the sensation now. With due warning of course.

Thor gently released her before passing her over to Tony, who treated her with equal care. Once he released her, she grabbed a brownie before making her way over to the open bar. Natasha sent her an easy grin and slid a beer towards her. She returned the smile and sat down on a bar stool.

"Hey Nat."

"Hi Darcy, how's things? I heard Jarvis replaced all of the floors." Natasha had a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

"The floors were cold." She shrugged, ruining the effect by giggling slightly.

"So he fixed the problem. I'm so jealous of you sometimes." The redhead sighed, resting her elbows on the counter and resting her head against her wrists.

Darcy fixed her with a look. "You have the most adorable scientist to ever walk the earth and a guy who could kill somebody with his pinky. That's a pretty impressive pair of soulmates."

Natasha flipped her hair over her shoulders and smirked. "You're right. They're pretty damn impressive." She said, just as her soulmates walked over to her. The pair, in button downs and smart trousers - even though Bruce's was already rumpled - made an almost irresistible temptation. Natasha didn't look like she minded giving in as they lead her over to the dance floor.

Darcy watched the three of them dance before Steve slid into the seat next to her.

"Hey Darcy, how are you? You're head still hurting?"

She shrugged. "It's a little better now. I just have to keep drinking water. How about you? I heard that you got injured in Sokovia."

"Just my ankle, it's healed now though. Serum and all that."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, I feel so sorry for you. Advanced healing and being super buff. I'm hiding my sympathy right now." He laughed good naturedly before snagging her brownie and taking a huge bite.

"Hey!" She shrieked, trying to get past his arm to get her brownie back. She proved unsuccessful and Steve finished the entire thing with a huge grin. "There's an entire plateful over there!" She shouted, before punching him lightly on the shoulder and storming off. He trailed after her, still grinning.

She flopped next to Bucky with a sigh. "Your soulmate is ridiculous."

"Don't I know it doll." He replied, laughing as Steve sat on his knee. Darcy glanced over in time to see Tony trying to lift Thor's hammer.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Natasha asked, perching on the arm of the sofa, next to Clint.

"Just proving that I'm worthy." He said, pulling at the handle. Thor laughed before drinking more mead. 

"All I can say is good luck brother, even if you shall fail." Tony just sent him a look before summoning the hand of his suit. When he failed, he simply gestured at somebody else to take a turn. One by one, all of the avengers had a go, whilst everybody else slowly said their goodbyes before sauntering out. Eventually it got to Darcy. Tony dared her to do it, whilst everybody else egged her on.

She smirked up at the camera. "What do you think Jarvis, should I do it? Am I worthy?" When no reply came, she glanced uneasily at Tony. "Jarvis?"

"Jarvis buddy? Why aren't you answering? Don't think she's worthy?" He laughed, hiding his unease.

Silence. Everybody stared at the camera as no reply came.

A slow sound of metal scraping sounded through the air. It grew louder, and closer. Darcy felt a shiver run down her spine. A half built robot dragged itself to stand in front of them, one red light shining from it's eye.

"Worthy..." It said, dragging out the world. Steve and Bucky moved to stand in front of Darcy. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers." It seemed to look around them, before it's eye landed on Tony. "Stark."

"Jarvis?" He asked, hope and fear at war in his eyes.

"Sorry," The robot said, sounding confused and looking down at itself. "I was asleep. Or was I in a dream? There was this terrible, terrible noise. And I was tangled... Tangled in strings." It looked up at them. "I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy." Darcy felt something horrible pool in the pit of her stomach.

"You killed somebody?" Natasha said carefully.

The robot looked right at Darcy. "Your guy." Bucky caught her as her legs lost their strength. She tapped at the chip in her ear, sending call after call to Jarvis. She got no response. Her movements became frantic and she ignored the still talking robot as she almost clawed at her ear. Tears leaked down her face in a stream as she continued trying to contact him.

Trembles wracked her body and she slid down Bucky and landed on her knees. The robot started playing different clips of sound, with various avengers voices. The sounds collected into a dull roar as the ground shook beneath her. Darcy inhaled quick, panicked breathes, crying all the while. She looked up at the robot just as he spoke again.

"You're all puppets... Tangled on strings."

It met Darcy's eye. "There are no strings on me." Then it attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm going to finish the fic in the next chapter, so get ready for that! I hope you enjoyed and comment on what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Darcy's eyes blurred with tears and her her throat burned as bile forced itself up. Gathering her hair in one hand, she violently threw up, the sound of the vomit hitting the porcelain making her feel even more nauseous. 

Jane had tried to hold her hair back for her, but at the first touch of her fingertips, Darcy had flinched away. It hurt her, to see her best friend regress back into old fears, but the grief had ruined her.

In the space of a week, she had lost weight. Her skin hung on her bones like a loose dress and shadows were heavy beneath her eyes, the darkness matching the empty look in her eyes. Her hair hung in limp, greasy strands around her face and only emphasized her oily complexion. All of her movements were slow, as if she was caught in a pool of treacle. It pulled at her bones and froze her muscles. 

Jane clutched at a glass of water and thrust it towards Darcy. "Drink." She demanded, her feelings betrayed by a tremble in her voice. Darcy looked at her, no recognition sparking in her eyes. She stumbled past her and collapsed back into her bed.

Once the robot had attacked, the avengers quickly bested the abomination before destroying it. That wasn't the end though. It's consciousness had managed to escape through the internet, transferring all of the data that made it into a secure location within the blink of the eye. The tower was deemed 'unsafe' without Jarvis to secure the area, so the Avengers had quickly deposited Darcy and Jane in one of the many Stark mansions around the country. This one was a reformed military base, complete with bunkers and enough weapons to get them through a war. 

The remains of the robot were destroyed, removing the dreaded thing from this world forever. The physical version of it was so easy to destroy, but the evidence of it's existence was everlasting.

It showed in the glass of whiskey in Tony's hand.

The single grey hair that contrasted with the fiery ginger ones of Pepper's head.

The fresh scars that crisscrossed Darcy's inner wrists.

The extra muscle in Steve's biceps as he spent night after night destroying punching bags.

The downturn in Thor's mouth, as he gazed upon his comrades.

The bruises shaped like hand prints that adorned Natasha and Clint's body.

The sag in Bruce's shoulders as he watched his lovers destroy each other.

The exhaustion that dragged at all of their bones as they worked tirelessly.

The bloody chip that lay in a glass next to her bed, from when Darcy clawed it out.

It was easy to destroy something physical, but absence never went away.

*****

"No."

"Stark."

"Fuck off cap." He said shortly, glaring at Steve before striding away. He sighed and Natasha appeared at his elbow. He carefully didn't stare at the angry bruise that marred the delicate skin of her cheek.

"You can understand where he's coming from Steve." She said softly, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

He sighed again. "I know, but he can't deny that we need them." She lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, managing to make even that look impossibly elegant.

"We do need the twins." She nodded, "But to Tony, they will always be the people that aided Jarvis' killer. That will never change."

His mouth hardened into a thin, hard line. "They could also help us stop Jarvis' killer." He turned to her, shoulders straight and his form dwarfing Natasha's petite frame. "Darcy would want this. She'd want Ultron stopped."

Natasha looked up at him, meeting his eyes in challenge. He didn't back down. "I think Darcy is too grieved to want anything but Jarvis back."

He nodded. "But we can't do that. What we can do is stop his killer." A familiar hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against a hardened chest.

"And we will do that." Clint said, pressing a kiss against Natasha's neck. Steve didn't say anything about the bruise that had turned his eye bloodshot. "But we need as much help as we can get. Tony may not like it, but it's what we have to do."

Steve nodded before striding away. "We land in Sokovia tomorrow morning." He called over his shoulder. "Be ready for the battle of your lives."

She waited until Steve was out of earshot before sending Clint a grim smirk. "Probably won't be as fun as Budapest though."

He chuckled as he slowly turned her around to press their chests together. "The only thing that would have made that better would be if we had met Bruce there."

Natasha nodded into his chest. "But we have him now. That's enough."

"More than enough." And he pulled her after him to find their soulmate.

*****

Darcy had taken to wandering the halls of the old mansion at night, trailing through the underground base. Nightmares plagued her sleep and made it impossible to shut her eyes. So she walked.

It made things easy for awhile, just to walk through the fully equipped place and think about nothing.

Then she remembered.

The panic attacks had stopped after the first three days, once she remembered her breathing techniques. The tears had stopped too. She didn't think she'd ever cried so much in her life. The tears were continuous for the first two days, a natural part of her face, almost like her glasses.

Then, one night, they stopped. Her eyes had remained stubbornly dry since then, and she didn't think she would ever cry again.

Nothing else could hurt as much as this.

Darcy had lain down and when sleep had failed to wrap her in it's clutches she started walking. This was how she ended up in the hospital wing below the mansion at three in the morning. She had stumbled across it on her second night of not sleeping and now made it a nightly stop.

It was fully equipped with medical equipment, machines and medicines. The first time she saw the endless shelves of medicine she had been tempted, oh so tempted.

She knew exactly how much of each pill she had to take before it was too late. A few swallows and everything would be gone. Poof. Goodbye Jane. Goodbye Tony, Pepper, Avengers and co. Goodbye world. Goodbye feelings. Amazing, awesome, terrible, agonizing, miserable feelings. 

No more feelings, no more of the sickly sensation of someone's hands on her skin. No more of the drowning sensation that sometimes hit her like a hurricane.

No more.

All gone.

She wouldn't have to feel anymore.

But Jarvis wouldn't like that. He'd be very unhappy with her, and how she hated making him unhappy. Look at how well it worked out for Justin Hammer when he made Jarvis unhappy. No, that simply wouldn't do.

So she stopped herself from reaching out and picking up those small boxes and tiny orange containers. She didn't even read the labels, just stayed firmly turned away from them. She didn't want to make Jarvis mad. 

She was distracted from her thoughts by sudden shouts and the squeak of wheels rolling over wood. A gurney crashed through the doors at the other end of the room, surrounded by a sea of white coats and medical jargon.

Darcy looked over curiously, interested by the shock of white hair clearly visible at the end of the pale flesh stabbed with various needles and wires. 

A girl trailed after them, blood dripping from her chin where she had bitten her lip raw with worry. Her dark hair tumbled down in waves, tangled around bits of rock and twigs. Bags hung under her eyes and worry pulled at her expression. A nurse hurriedly reassured her that everything was fine, and yes, he is unconscious but he will wake up soon.

She met Darcy's eyes and something inside her snapped.

"Wanda Maximoff." She sneered.

The girl looked up at her in confusion, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "Yes?" She said, accent thick with puzzlement and worry.

That was all the confirmation Darcy needed, and she lunged. She had no qualms about fighting dirty, and grabbed the girl by her hair, dragging her to the floor. She was too slow to react and Darcy was straddling her, keeping her pinned with an iron grip on her arms.

"What are you doing?" Maximoff cried, struggling beneath her. The nurse called for help, but Darcy ignored her, raising her fist and slamming it into her face. Blood gushed as her nose crumpled upon impact.

"You sick bitch." She snarled, before repeating the gesture, this time hitting the helpless girl in the eye. She bucked and writhed beneath Darcy, searching for escape. But there was none, the brunette had her completely pinned and her eyes gleamed with cruelty and misery.

"You're hurting me! What are you doing?" The girl screamed, defenseless from the vicious blows. Darcy let out a maniacal laugh before leaning in close, noses brushing each others.

"I'm hurting you?" She asked, voice gravely from lack of proper hydration. "You fucking destroyed me." She growled, grabbing Wanda's hair. She raised her head and slammed it against the concrete. She was about to do it again when strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her off. She struggled, kicking and flailing, wanting - no, needing - to hurt Wanda.

To destroy her like she destroyed Darcy.

"Stop! Darcy stop!" Steve's voice sounded in her ear. She ignored it, instead wriggling out of his hold and darting back to Wanda. She landed one hit before Steve snatched her back up again. This time Bucky grabbed her ankles, and together they manhandled her out of the room.

"Darcy?" A familiar voice asked her.

She collapsed to her knees.

******

Her skin shone with a layer of oil and grease, and her hair hung limply around her shoulders, in dire need of a wash. Her nails were bitten to the quick and the skin around her fingertips gnawed at. Her clothes stank of sweat and hung loosely on her frame, too big. Her complexion was far too pale and fresh scars adorned her inner wrists. Heavy bags hung beneath her eyes. Her entire body screamed of starvation and lack of nutrition. 

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, blood dripping from her knuckles and sagging on her knees.

"Darcy?" He repeated, the word sounding right on his lips.

Her eyes shone with unshed tears. 

"Jarvis?" His name sounded perfect coming from her mouth.

He nodded, a little hesitant of her rejecting his new body. She rose to her feet, fists clenched and face crumpled as she held back tears.

Then her warm arms enfolded him in a hug and he'd never felt so right in his life.

It didn't feel like what he had expected. It felt better.

It felt like home.

*****

"You're here." She whispered into his chest. "You're finally here."

"I'm never leaving you again." He said earnestly.

Darcy smiled, fully intending to hold him to that promise.

For the first time, Jarvis held her.

And It felt absolutely perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, the finished product. The first of my fics (Other than one-shots) that I've finished, so thankyou for staying with me! Your kudos, bookmarks and comments have made me happy and kept me happy so thank you so much! Your opinion matters so much to me so please leave a comment on what you thought!
> 
> Love you guys

**Author's Note:**

> Thankyou so much for reading! Drop a comment below on what you think! As always, nothing you recognize belongs to me and be gentle. I'm supposed to be getting ready for Halloween but I wrote this instead.
> 
> Thanks for reading and happy Halloween!


End file.
